In real life, the whales were never tagged, so it is unknown for how long or if they survived after being freed.
Much of the footage for the film was shot in and around Anchorage, Alaska. The ice scenes were filmed at Beluga Point south of Anchorage, and several scenes which in the film took place in California were actually shot on location in the Turnagain neighborhood in west Anchorage: plants native to Southern California were used to dress the houses in those scenes. Real Alaska National Guardsmen were used to play the Guardsmen in the film.
The whole ordeal lasted from October 7th to the 28th.
In this film, the three gray whales are named after characters from Los Picapiedra (1960). Their names were Bonnet, Crossbeak, and Bone in real life.